


The Perfect Hero

by yuckeroni



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, F/M, Holy Grail War (Fate), M/M, Red String of Fate, Reincarnation AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:54:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22432198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuckeroni/pseuds/yuckeroni
Summary: The epic had always boasted his ability to be a hero. Or rather, that he was a hero, born and bred. Arjuna bore no flaws and was the perfect depiction of a legendary hero.Others believed this as well, however, he could not help but disagree.
Relationships: Arjuna | Archer/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 33





	The Perfect Hero

The epic had always boasted his ability to be a hero. Or rather, that he was a hero, born and bred. Arjuna bore no flaws and was the perfect depiction of a legendary hero.

Others believed this as well, however, he could not help but disagree.

Arjuna was at war with himself. Despite being a literal hero, he knew he was lacking. In his tattered mind, this self-doubt proved that he was less than one.

A fake. Nothing more, nothing less.

Why, if he were, he would have been able to stop whatever curse had been placed on him, right? The very one that kept you away from him, time and time again. Arjuna had a counter in his head that only went up after every moment that had passed and gone with you.

No matter what face you took, what home you grew up in, what life you lived, he could always tell it was you. Whether it was the future or the past, he always found his way back to you. To onlookers, it could have been romantic, but in truth, it was wearing down on his very soul. Almost to the point where he would fall to his knees and hold onto your legs, forcing you to keep still, so you would be safe and finally not slip through his fingers.

But, no, not yet. He willed himself to bear the mask of inconvenience rather than uncontrollable pain. Despite his perfervid sentiment to your soul, he would suffer in silence to avoid your harrowing realization that Arjuna had been chasing after someone who couldn’t even recognize him, let alone remember to love him.

His heart always drops to the pits of his stomach when you summon him once more in whatever time era the Gods bring him to. He clenches his fist, which goes unnoticed by you. In his mind he cries out, begging for this nightmare to end. Of course, it doesn’t until he’s lost you again.

Multiple times does he try to reject your fate, but in the same vein, it is also his to fail. Arjuna tugs at the red string and when he does, it only lengthens and knots, keeping him farther away from a happy ending with you.

Sometimes he wonders if this is divine punishment for being an incompetent hero. He must have done something wrong, otherwise, this wouldn’t be happening, he wouldn’t be baited into this situation where you’re dangled on a stick whilst he can only run, but never catch you.

Arjuna’s only motivation is to live a short, fruitless life protecting you from any harm that comes your way, that is until he slips up and has to do it all over again. Although, the way your face lights up having summoned a heroic spirit such as himself, or even out of surprise when he appears in dire moments, is just as meaningful.

He fantasizes about the day where he can keep you to himself. No time-hijinks, no curse, no reincarnating, nothing. He imagines a field of pastel flowers in bloom on a grassy knoll, the sun sets ahead as you gaze at it lovingly. The wind blows at your figure softly while it simultaneously picks up stray petals and lets them fall around you. He loses his breath when he lays his eyes on you (as he does nearly every moment he sees you) and he takes a few steps closer, careful as to not disrupt you or the flowers underneath his boots. As if to alert you, he coughs slightly, and you turn your head towards him with a smile in your face, one that’s only for him. Arjuna wraps his arms around you as you turn your head back to the horizon, leaning your head back into his chest. If you were to listen closely, you could hear his heart pounding. He peers down to see you speak, but the words don’t come out, only, he has to read the “I love you” on your lips.

That’s when the fantasy vanishes around him and he’s stuck in the dead of night in your room. You’re sound asleep, mouth slightly ajar, snoring away as his intense love for you goes over your head.

He crosses his arms as he leans back in his chair, biting his bottom lip as he forces himself to look at the ceiling rather than your form.

Until that made-up hallucination of his can come true, it will always be just that: a dream that his hands will never hold. 

**Author's Note:**

> in our fate server, it's arjuna month! congrats baby boy for getting servant of the month. for all u arjuna lovers (especially dark) and the angst fiends. love y'all!


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